Image copyright Getty Images Image caption North Korea’s crop production has been hit in recent years by both drought and flooding North Korea is facing severe food shortages after being hit by its worst drought since 2001, a report from the United Nations says. Crop production in the country has been hampered by a prolongedRead More

Image copyright US Department of Justice Image caption AlphaBay went offline earlier this month Two of the largest dark web marketplaces have been shut down following a “landmark” international law enforcement investigation. The AlphaBay and Hansa sites had been associated with the trade in illicit items such as drugs, weapons, malware and stolen data. AccordingRead More

Whenever executives talk about how their company is really like a big ol’ family, beware. They’re usually not referring to how the company is going to protect you no matter what or love you unconditionally. You know, like healthy families would. The motive is rather more likely to be a unidirectional form of sacrifice: Yours.Read More

Image copyright EPA Image caption “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government,” said Thom Yorke Radiohead have defied critics, and supporters of a cultural boycott, to play a gig in Israel on Wednesday. In fact, the group played their longest show since 2006, playing 27 songs and two encores at TelRead More

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Chris Evans is the BBC’s highest-paid star The BBC’s most highly paid male presenters could be asked to accept lower wages as the corporation tries to close the gender pay gap. The BBC has defended high salaries which were revealed in its annual report on Wednesday. The corporation hasRead More

The news that disturbed my digital life came two years ago in a snail mail letter strewn with phrases like “malicious cyber intrusion” and “identity theft.” A relative’s company had been part of a massive hack, the note said, leaving my information exposed. Before the letter came, I was a cyber security neophyte: I didn’tRead More

“Can you be paid for being yourself, and have other people be willing to purchase that?” John Pavlus is a writer and filmmaker living in Portland, Oregon. ——— Sign up to get Backchannel’s weekly newsletter. Jan Chipchase put this question to me in a recent interview, but I’m pretty sure he already knows the answer.Read More

Facebook has made its first move to integrate virtual reality onto the main social network, confirming that users of its VR app Spaces will now be able to broadcast themselves on a live video. Spaces is an Oculus-only app that lets users sit in a virtual room, chat to friends, watch videos, and draw. FacebookRead More

Image copyright EPA Image caption Netanyahu: “We have a special relationship with China. And they don’t care.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the European Union’s “crazy” approach to dealing with his country. His comments, made during a closed-session meeting in the Hungarian capital Budapest, were accidentally broadcast to reporters. He said the EURead More

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionTrump to senators: Cancel your vacation Thirty-two million Americans would lose health coverage under a Republican plan to repeal Obamacare, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has forecast. The non-partisan office’s analysis found the cost of a medical insurance policy would increase 25% next year and double byRead More